The invention relates to improvements in methods of and in apparatus for producing discrete tubular envelopes or wrappers of finite length, e.g., for storage of commodities in the form of rods, cylinders, bars or the like. Typical examples of commodities which can be confined in tubular envelopes or wrappers of the type adapted to be produced in accordance with the present invention are catamenial tampons. However, the envelopes or wrappers (hereinafter called tubes for short) which can be obtained in accordance with the method and by resorting to the apparatus of the present invention can be employed with equal or similar advantage for temporary or long-lasting storage or confinement of many other types of commodities in the form of grains, rods, bars (such as candy bars), pellets, cylinders and/or others.
It is known to confine various types of commodities in tubular envelopes, normally in such a way that the material of which the envelopes are made is draped around the commodities to be confined therein. For example, a continuous cigar, cigarillo or cigarette rod can be obtained by forming a continuous rod-like filler of natural, synthetic and/or reconstituted tobacco and by draping the filler into a running web of cigarette paper or other suitable wrapping material. The thus obtained continuous cigar, cigarillo or cigarette rod is thereupon severed at regular intervals by a so-called cutoff to yield a file or row of successive cigars, cigarillos or cigarettes of unit length or multiple unit length. Filter rod sections for attachment to plain cigarettes, cigars or cigarillos can be produced in a similar way by draping a web of wrapping material around a running rod-like filler of filter material for tobacco smoke.
Entirely different problems arise if discrete commodities, such as catamenial tampons or other feminine hygiene products, are to be individually confined in prefabricated envelopes, e.g., in tubes consisting of or containing paper, metallic foil or plastic material. This necessitates the making of large numbers of tubes and the insertion of one or more commodities into each prefabricated tube. It is further necessary to close each tube at one end or at both ends upon introduction of one or more commodities into its interior. The making of large numbers of tubes, the introduction of commodities into such tubes, and the closing of end portions of filled tubes (especially airtight closing) involve the utilization of complex machinery, especially if the tubes are to receive mass-produced commodities so that they must be turned out in large quantities per unit of time. If the tubes are mass-produced in advance of filling with commodities, it is necessary to provide huge storage facilities for temporary storage of tubes prior to advancement to the filling station or stations. Such storage facilities must be provided in addition to those which are necessary for temporary storage of commodities to be introduced into prefabricated tubes.
Another possible procedure would involve the making of tubes directly around the commodities to be confined therein. This is often impossible or impractical because the plant or machine for the making of commodities is or often must or should be located at a distance from the tube making machine or plant. Moreover, the commodities to be wrapped could be of the type requiring some storage for aging or for other purposes prior to confinement in envelopes in the form of tubes or the like.